Lung Nodules

Benign lung nodules are very common.  My question is "have you ever had a CT/Chest XRay before"?  Are these new or is this just the first time you've had some type of scan and now you see them?

There have been tons of people on this site who have had scans that showed nodules.  They've had additional scans and biopsies and the majority of the time, the nodules are benign.  But melanoma can spread to the lungs.  So there is a fine line.  Most – especially early stagers like you – would probably do a followup scan in a reasonable period of time (3-6 months).  As long as things are stable, then consider them benign.  If things change, then you go from there.  If you were stage III, you'd probably already had some type of baseline scans and then these would be used for comparison. 

Benign lung nodules are very common.  My question is "have you ever had a CT/Chest XRay before"?  Are these new or is this just the first time you've had some type of scan and now you see them?

There have been tons of people on this site who have had scans that showed nodules.  They've had additional scans and biopsies and the majority of the time, the nodules are benign.  But melanoma can spread to the lungs.  So there is a fine line.  Most – especially early stagers like you – would probably do a followup scan in a reasonable period of time (3-6 months).  As long as things are stable, then consider them benign.  If things change, then you go from there.  If you were stage III, you'd probably already had some type of baseline scans and then these would be used for comparison. 

Benign lung nodules are very common.  My question is "have you ever had a CT/Chest XRay before"?  Are these new or is this just the first time you've had some type of scan and now you see them?

There have been tons of people on this site who have had scans that showed nodules.  They've had additional scans and biopsies and the majority of the time, the nodules are benign.  But melanoma can spread to the lungs.  So there is a fine line.  Most – especially early stagers like you – would probably do a followup scan in a reasonable period of time (3-6 months).  As long as things are stable, then consider them benign.  If things change, then you go from there.  If you were stage III, you'd probably already had some type of baseline scans and then these would be used for comparison. 

Hi, I don't want to worry you but I would take a lung nodule seriously. My lung nodule was tracked for two years- growing very slowly and I ended up having it removed 6 weeks ago. Despite my oncologist's thinking (even as it grew to 8mm) that it was a benign granuloma (other poster is right, these are fairly common), it was in fact melanoma.

From what I've learned, stage IV melanoma often goes to the lungs first. I would keep an eye on it, get scanned to see if there's growth, and have it removed if it's growing consistently (and above a certain size). 

Though I was a stage III 14 years ago, my original primary was not very thick- melanoma is unpredictable like that.

Best of luck…

Hi, I don't want to worry you but I would take a lung nodule seriously. My lung nodule was tracked for two years- growing very slowly and I ended up having it removed 6 weeks ago. Despite my oncologist's thinking (even as it grew to 8mm) that it was a benign granuloma (other poster is right, these are fairly common), it was in fact melanoma.

From what I've learned, stage IV melanoma often goes to the lungs first. I would keep an eye on it, get scanned to see if there's growth, and have it removed if it's growing consistently (and above a certain size). 

Though I was a stage III 14 years ago, my original primary was not very thick- melanoma is unpredictable like that.

Best of luck…

Hi, I don't want to worry you but I would take a lung nodule seriously. My lung nodule was tracked for two years- growing very slowly and I ended up having it removed 6 weeks ago. Despite my oncologist's thinking (even as it grew to 8mm) that it was a benign granuloma (other poster is right, these are fairly common), it was in fact melanoma.

From what I've learned, stage IV melanoma often goes to the lungs first. I would keep an eye on it, get scanned to see if there's growth, and have it removed if it's growing consistently (and above a certain size). 

Though I was a stage III 14 years ago, my original primary was not very thick- melanoma is unpredictable like that.

Best of luck…

Typically the lungs would need a repat CT scan in a few weeks or months to monitor for growth +/- a PET scan to see if there is any SUV uptake.

My nodule looked benign and didn't change after 4 months.  I still had a PET done which the nodule lit up like a X-mas tree and one onther very small one was in my pectoralis muscle.  

I had the lung nodule removed, it was mel.  I went from stage 2A to IV 8 years later.  No node involvement.

At the very least I would get it rescanned in a few months, possibly a PET.  Based on my SUV uptake, the radiologist said "represents PROBABLE metastasis".  I quibbled over words and was hoping it was a typo and that he really meant "possible".

Anyway, the good news is after the lung nodule was removed, I was a complete responser to IL-2 and have been NED for 5 years with no other treatments.

Any nodule in the lung after a mel diagnosis must be looked at very hard, even if benign looking on CT, chest X-ray.  For me, the PET made the difference and pushed the odds twoards metastasis.  

It is worth being seen by the lung doctor.

IMHO

What a relief to find out it is only random junk not to worry about.  You won't know until another scan or follow up tests.

Typically the lungs would need a repat CT scan in a few weeks or months to monitor for growth +/- a PET scan to see if there is any SUV uptake.

My nodule looked benign and didn't change after 4 months.  I still had a PET done which the nodule lit up like a X-mas tree and one onther very small one was in my pectoralis muscle.  

I had the lung nodule removed, it was mel.  I went from stage 2A to IV 8 years later.  No node involvement.

At the very least I would get it rescanned in a few months, possibly a PET.  Based on my SUV uptake, the radiologist said "represents PROBABLE metastasis".  I quibbled over words and was hoping it was a typo and that he really meant "possible".

Anyway, the good news is after the lung nodule was removed, I was a complete responser to IL-2 and have been NED for 5 years with no other treatments.

Any nodule in the lung after a mel diagnosis must be looked at very hard, even if benign looking on CT, chest X-ray.  For me, the PET made the difference and pushed the odds twoards metastasis.  

It is worth being seen by the lung doctor.

IMHO

What a relief to find out it is only random junk not to worry about.  You won't know until another scan or follow up tests.

Typically the lungs would need a repat CT scan in a few weeks or months to monitor for growth +/- a PET scan to see if there is any SUV uptake.

My nodule looked benign and didn't change after 4 months.  I still had a PET done which the nodule lit up like a X-mas tree and one onther very small one was in my pectoralis muscle.  

I had the lung nodule removed, it was mel.  I went from stage 2A to IV 8 years later.  No node involvement.

At the very least I would get it rescanned in a few months, possibly a PET.  Based on my SUV uptake, the radiologist said "represents PROBABLE metastasis".  I quibbled over words and was hoping it was a typo and that he really meant "possible".

Anyway, the good news is after the lung nodule was removed, I was a complete responser to IL-2 and have been NED for 5 years with no other treatments.

Any nodule in the lung after a mel diagnosis must be looked at very hard, even if benign looking on CT, chest X-ray.  For me, the PET made the difference and pushed the odds twoards metastasis.  

It is worth being seen by the lung doctor.

IMHO

What a relief to find out it is only random junk not to worry about.  You won't know until another scan or follow up tests.